Onychomycosis
Conditions
Keywords
Dermatophyte onychomycosis, Fungal nail infection, Resin Lacquer, Amorolfine, Terbinafine
Brief summary
The current study is conducted to corroborate the previous observational clinical trial with more valid methods and a more clinically relevant experimental design. This study aims to compare efficacy, safety, and cost between topically administered 30% resin lacquer for the treatment of dermatophyte toenail onychomycosis and the current best practices: topical 5% amorolfine and systemic terbinafine.
Detailed description
The aim of this prospective, investigator-blinded, randomized and controlled clinical trial is to explore potential differences between 5 % amorolfine and 30 % resin lacquer in topical treatment of onychomycosis. In addition, topical treatment methods are compared with the most effective 'drug of choice' for onychomycosis according the current guidelines i.e. oral medication with terbinafine. Altogether 90 patients (the aim is to collect the 30 patients per group) who have culture or potassium hydroxide (KOH) stain verified dermatophyte onychomycosis are randomly allocated into 3 treatment groups to receive either topical treatment or oral medication for toenail onychomycosis classified as follows: 1. White superficial onychomycosis (WSO) 2. Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO) 3. Proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO) 4. \[Total dystrophic onychomycosis) (TDO)\] \[Excluded\] 5. \[Candidal onychomycosis\] \[Excluded\] Participants are randomized into 3 groups to receive: 1. Topical treatment: 30 % resin lacquer (Abicin®) applied once daily for 9 months. 2. Topical treatment: 5 % amorolfine lacquer (Loceryl®) applied once weekly for 9 months. 3. Oral medication: 250 mg terbinafine taken orally once daily for 3 months. All patients visit at outpatient department before the launch of the study, and 3 and 9 months thereafter. Clinical examination is done by 4 physicians. During the 42-week study period, laboratory tests are conducted on samples collected before treatment, at 20 weeks, and at 42 weeks. The tests include a fungal culture, KOH staining of the toenail sample, and blood tests. Cultures and KOH microscopy are performed in an independent, specialised mycology laboratory with standard techniques (Medix Laboratories Ltd., Helsinki, Finland). The blood tests measure plasma γ-glutamyl transferase levels (also at 2 weeks); plasma creatinine levels; the total number of white blood cells, including neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, lymphocytes, and eosinophils; the total number of red blood cells, including erythrocytes and haematocrit; erythrocyte indices, including the mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and haemoglobin level; and the total number thrombocytes (initially and at 42 weeks). During the control visits, sequential digital photographs of the most disfigured and brittle toenails are acquired. In the three phone calls, patients are asked about potential treatment-related side effects, compliance with treatment, patients' perception of treatment outcome, and their willingness to continue in the study. In each treatment arm, the treatment regimen is discontinued 5 weeks before the last toenail sampling to provide an appropriate washout period before the final culture and KOH analysis. To ensure safety and to assess potential contraindications for the treatment regimens, all patients included in the study undergo a comprehensive medical interview and physical examination. To identify patients who may develop intolerable adverse events due to drug combinations, all concurrent medications are cross-checked to verify compatibility with resin, amorolfine, and terbinafine regimens at the beginning of the study. All patients are informed of the possibility of developing a hypersensitivity to resin, amorolfine, or terbinafine. If patients experienced symptoms that corresponded to any level of hypersensitivity, they are dropped from the study.
Interventions
30% Resin Lacquer is applied once daily for 9 months (Abicin®) in toenail onychomycosis.
5% Amorolfine Lacquer is applied once weekly for 9 months (Loceryl®) in toenail onychomycosis.
250 mg of Terbinafine is taken orally once daily for 3 months (Generics) in toenail onychomycosis.
Sponsors
Study design
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* Positive dermatophyte culture in the beginning of the study obtained from the toenail sample. * Positive KOH stain in the beginning of the study obtained from the toenail sample.
Exclusion criteria
* Any other nail disease than dermatophyte culture or KOH stain verified onychomycosis * Onychomycosis caused by yeasts or nondermatophyte molds * Kidney failure determined by plasma creatinine level (P-Krea \> 100 μmol/l) * Liver failure determined by plasma γ-glutamyltransferase level (P-GT \> 120 U/I) * Sensitivity or allergy to Resin, Amorolfine or Terbinafine * Potential adverse cross-reaction of Terbinafine, Amorolfine or Resin with the patient's permanent medication * Presence of total dystrophic onychomycosis (TDO) * Any topical or oral antifungal treatment within the 6 months before the beginning of the study (washout period \> 6 months).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mycological Cure | At 4- and 10 months time-points from the beginning of the study. | To analyze the rate of complete mycological cure i.e. fungal eradication in terms of negative mycological culture AND negative potassium hydroxide (KOH) stain at 4- and 10 months time-points from the beginning of the study. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical Responses to the Treatments | At 4- and 10 months time-points from the beginning of the study. | Clinical responses to treatment were based on the proximal linear growth of healthy nail; thus, the clinical responses were classified as partial (evident proximal linear growth of healthy nail) or complete. Partial responses were defined as significant reductions in onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, and streaks. A complete response was a fully normal appearance of the toenail. |
| Cost-effectiveness 1 | At 10-month time-point | Cost analysis was based on the retail price (€) and consumption of a 10 ml bottle of Abicin® 30% resin lacquer, a 5 ml bottle of Loceryl® 5% amorolfine lacquer, and 98 tablets of generic 250 mg terbinafine, sold by the University Pharmacy in Helsinki, Finland, January 2014. The cost was expressed as the average treatment cost per patient; for the total cost, this average was extrapolated to the entire study treatment arm. The results show the treatment costs (€) per day per patient in each group. |
| Cost-effectiveness 2 | At 10-month time-point | Cost analysis was based on the retail price (€) and consumption of a 10 ml bottle of Abicin® 30% resin lacquer, a 5 ml bottle of Loceryl® 5% amorolfine lacquer, and 98 tablets of generic 250 mg terbinafine, sold by the University Pharmacy in Helsinki, Finland, January 2014. The cost was expressed as the average treatment cost per patient; for the total cost, this average was extrapolated to the entire study treatment arm. The results show the treatment costs (€) during the treatment period per patient in each group. |
| Compliance to the Treatment | At 4-month time-point | Evaluation of compliance was based on patient self-reports of whether the treatment protocol was followed 100% (complete), 80% (good), 60% (moderate), or 40% (poor) of the time. |
Countries
Finland
Participant flow
Recruitment details
In November 2013, on the basis of a newspaper advertisement, a total of 129 adult volunteers were assessed for eligibility at Vääksy Medical Center, Finland. Eligible subjects were required to provide toenail samples for screening. Inclusion criteria were a positive dermatophyte culture and a positive potassium hydroxide (KOH) stain.
Pre-assignment details
Of those 129 patients screened, 48 (37%) were excluded due to negative KOH staining or cultures and 8 (6%) were excluded because onychomycosis was caused by nondermatophyte mold or yeast. At baseline, 73 (57%) patients who met the entry criteria were randomly allocated to receive 1 of 3 therapies for dermatophyte onychomycosis (3 treatment arms).
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Resin Lacquer Arm Topical treatment: 30 % Resin Lacquer (Abicin®)
Resin Lacquer is administered locally in the form of lacquer (Abicin®) onto infected nail once a day for 9 months in toenail onychomycosis. | 23 |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm Topical treatment with 5 % Amorolfine Lacquer (Loceryl®)
Amorolfine Lacquer is administered locally in the form of lacquer (Loceryl®) onto infected nail once a week for 9 months in toenail onychomycosis. | 25 |
| Terbinafine Arm Oral medication with 250 mg Terbinafine / day
Terbinafine 250 mg is administered orally once a day for 3 months in toenail onychomycosis. | 25 |
| Total | 73 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 | FG002 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Adverse Event | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Overall Study | Lack of Efficacy | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Overall Study | Withdrawal by Subject | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Resin Lacquer Arm | Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Terbinafine Arm | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 15 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 18 Participants | 20 Participants | 20 Participants | 58 Participants |
| BMI | 25 kg/m^2 STANDARD_DEVIATION 3 | 27 kg/m^2 STANDARD_DEVIATION 4 | 27 kg/m^2 STANDARD_DEVIATION 4 | 26 kg/m^2 STANDARD_DEVIATION 4 |
| Plasma creatinine | 76 μmol/l STANDARD_DEVIATION 15 | 78 μmol/l STANDARD_DEVIATION 13 | 79 μmol/l STANDARD_DEVIATION 11 | 78 μmol/l STANDARD_DEVIATION 14 |
| Plasma γ-glutamyl transferase | 29 U/I | 21 U/I | 27 U/I | 25 U/I |
| Positive mycological culture in toenail samples | 23 participants | 25 participants | 25 participants | 73 participants |
| Region of Enrollment Finland | 23 participants | 25 participants | 25 participants | 73 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 2 Participants | 5 Participants | 8 Participants | 15 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 21 Participants | 20 Participants | 17 Participants | 58 Participants |
| Specific dermatophyte species in mycological culture Trichophyton mentagrophytes | 3 participants | 1 participants | 4 participants | 8 participants |
| Specific dermatophyte species in mycological culture Trichophyton rubrum | 20 participants | 24 participants | 21 participants | 65 participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk | EG002 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | — / — | — / — | — / — |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 23 | 0 / 25 | 2 / 25 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 23 | 0 / 25 | 0 / 25 |
Outcome results
Mycological Cure
To analyze the rate of complete mycological cure i.e. fungal eradication in terms of negative mycological culture AND negative potassium hydroxide (KOH) stain at 4- and 10 months time-points from the beginning of the study.
Time frame: At 4- and 10 months time-points from the beginning of the study.
Population: Primary and secondary outcome analyses were based on the intent-to-treat (ITT) population and missing values were imputed using the last observation carried forward (LOCF) method.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (NUMBER) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Mycological Cure | Mycological cure at 4-month | 17 Percentage of participants |
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Mycological Cure | Mycological cure at 10-month | 13 Percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Mycological Cure | Mycological cure at 4-month | 28 Percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Mycological Cure | Mycological cure at 10-month | 8 Percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Mycological Cure | Mycological cure at 4-month | 16 Percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Mycological Cure | Mycological cure at 10-month | 56 Percentage of participants |
Clinical Responses to the Treatments
Clinical responses to treatment were based on the proximal linear growth of healthy nail; thus, the clinical responses were classified as partial (evident proximal linear growth of healthy nail) or complete. Partial responses were defined as significant reductions in onycholysis, subungual hyperkeratosis, and streaks. A complete response was a fully normal appearance of the toenail.
Time frame: At 4- and 10 months time-points from the beginning of the study.
Population: Intention-to-treat population, last observation carried forward.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (NUMBER) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Partial clinical response at 4-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Complete clinical response at 4-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Partial clinical response at 10-month | 30 percentage of participants |
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Complete clinical response at 10-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Complete clinical response at 10-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Partial clinical response at 4-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Partial clinical response at 10-month | 28 percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Complete clinical response at 4-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Complete clinical response at 10-month | 16 percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Complete clinical response at 4-month | 0 percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Partial clinical response at 10-month | 36 percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Clinical Responses to the Treatments | Partial clinical response at 4-month | 44 percentage of participants |
Compliance to the Treatment
Evaluation of compliance was based on patient self-reports of whether the treatment protocol was followed 100% (complete), 80% (good), 60% (moderate), or 40% (poor) of the time.
Time frame: At 4-month time-point
Population: Percentage describes the proportion of patients who declared that they have been followed the instructions completely (100%).
| Arm | Measure | Value (NUMBER) |
|---|---|---|
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Compliance to the Treatment | 100 percentage of participants |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Compliance to the Treatment | 96 percentage of participants |
| Terbinafine Arm | Compliance to the Treatment | 100 percentage of participants |
Cost-effectiveness 1
Cost analysis was based on the retail price (€) and consumption of a 10 ml bottle of Abicin® 30% resin lacquer, a 5 ml bottle of Loceryl® 5% amorolfine lacquer, and 98 tablets of generic 250 mg terbinafine, sold by the University Pharmacy in Helsinki, Finland, January 2014. The cost was expressed as the average treatment cost per patient; for the total cost, this average was extrapolated to the entire study treatment arm. The results show the treatment costs (€) per day per patient in each group.
Time frame: At 10-month time-point
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) |
|---|---|---|
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Cost-effectiveness 1 | 0.15 Euros (€) |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Cost-effectiveness 1 | 0.21 Euros (€) |
| Terbinafine Arm | Cost-effectiveness 1 | 0.56 Euros (€) |
Cost-effectiveness 2
Cost analysis was based on the retail price (€) and consumption of a 10 ml bottle of Abicin® 30% resin lacquer, a 5 ml bottle of Loceryl® 5% amorolfine lacquer, and 98 tablets of generic 250 mg terbinafine, sold by the University Pharmacy in Helsinki, Finland, January 2014. The cost was expressed as the average treatment cost per patient; for the total cost, this average was extrapolated to the entire study treatment arm. The results show the treatment costs (€) during the treatment period per patient in each group.
Time frame: At 10-month time-point
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) |
|---|---|---|
| Resin Lacquer Arm | Cost-effectiveness 2 | 40.7 Euros (€) |
| Amorolfine Lacquer Arm | Cost-effectiveness 2 | 55.2 Euros (€) |
| Terbinafine Arm | Cost-effectiveness 2 | 52.1 Euros (€) |